The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will hold a celebration today at the SM North Skydome to give recognition to youth who were able to finish senior high school with the assistance from the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. The event will also acknowledge students who earned a college degree through the Expanded Students Grants-in-Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation.

As of this writing, 1.1 million children are expected to graduate from grade six and senior high school. More than 900,000 children will move up to Grade 7, while more than 200,000 children will finish senior high school.

“There is no doubt that education is a powerful tool to fight poverty. While there’s much more that needs to be done to curb poverty, we are taking concrete steps to fight it. We hope that these children will continue pursuing their dreams and with their academic achievements they can build the foundations for  a better future,” said DSWD Officer-in-Charge Emmanuel A. Leyco.

4Ps is a program of the national government implemented through the DSWD together with the Department of Education (DepEd), the Department of Health (DoH,) and other national government agencies.

The program invests in the health and education of poor households primarily of children aged 18 and below.  As of March 2018, the program covers 4.39 million households covering 17 Regions, 80 Provinces, 1,627 Cities/ Municipalities.

“We all have a role and responsibility in addressing poverty. We are thankful that we have different government agencies and members of the private sector working hand in hand with us so that we do not only provide assistance, but also give these children access to other services and opportunities to sustain their efforts to improve their lives,” concluded OIC Leyco.

Representatives from DSWD partner-agencies such as the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the Civil Service Commission (CSC), and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) are also joining the celebration. Said representatives  will discuss the programs and services their respective agencies have and which the new graduates may access.

Just recently, the DOLE through the Bureau of Labor and Employment (BLE) provided special lanes for 4Ps beneficiaries for business and employment opportunities during the Labor Day Celebration.